Job Discussion Forums

ar2005 · Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 1

Hi All,

I've been following this forum for a while and I just want to reiterate that this has been an excellent resource for getting a feel for life in Argentina generally and BsAs specifically. I arrive in 8 days and after reading the threads here I feel much better prepared than if I had read a pile guide books.

I have 1 question and 1 suggestion :

Question : Can anyone reccomend a clinic or hospital where I can get some vaccinations, has anyone had any experience with this ?

Suggestion : It appears that some people on this forum are struggling to find decent English novels/books to read. I'll be bringing a few books with me when I come over and I should be finished with them in a few weeks (I'm a slow reader) and I would be happy to trade/swap them with anyone else. Maybe we could get some book swapping thing going, while I am happy to come up with the idea, I am almost certainly too lazy to implment/organise this, at least until I get my bearings in BsAs.

So well done everone, this forum is helpful, entertaining and very diverse - topics have included masculinity, mullets and what it takes to make it in the dog-walking world - I'm very impressed.

Keep up the good work and hopefully I'll bump into some of you in BsAs.

Cheers,
Al

chaquitamaria · Joined: 25 Aug 2005 Posts: 20 Location: Buenos Aires

I will be arriving in Buenos Aires on November 17 and am very interested in your book-swapping idea; I read a lot, although I don't know how much time I'll have for it in the first month or so. Why don't we plan it out once we're both on the ground??

Maria

guillebaires · Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 6:27 pm Post subject:

Hi Al,
Check http://www.viajeros.cei.com.ar/ for the vaccinations!

Surprised

)

dub_vibrations · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 15

I'm nearing completion of the small number of novels I brought with me and need to refill. Does anyone know of any english language libraries in Buenos Aires? I'm particularly interested in texts on modern argentine politics and economy. In other cities I've found that the British Council usually has a small but well chosen selection of books, is that the case here?

dub

amy1982 · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 192 Location: Buenos Aires

neither of the two libraries i've been to let you remove books from them. you can read all you want while you're there, but you have to give the books back before you go. i've been to the library at the british cultural center (or something like that) and the biblioteca nacional.

there are bookstores around (NOT ateneo, ABC, Kel, etc), but the hole in the wall places with books spilling out into the street, that have decently priced books - political books and biographies for under A$20... there's also a book fair right off the Aline plaza miserere stop...

if you're looking for a classic novel, ABC and Kel have "penguin classics" for A$10...

citruscinders · Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Posts: 49 Location: Canada

Parque del Centenario (map 15 in the Guia-T) has used book stalls open on Sunday. The English books there are cheaper than the ones at Plaza Italia. You're looking at around $6-$8 pesos for a used novel. They have English teaching material too, although I didn't ask for those prices. I've tried a number of used book stores on Corrientes, but they are pricey.

dub_vibrations · Joined: 27 Oct 2005 Posts: 15

Phil_b · Joined: 14 Oct 2003 Posts: 239 Location: Back in London

"The Land that Lost its Heroes" - Jimmy Burns

"The Disappeared: Story of Argentina's Secret War of Oppression" - John Simpson and Jana Bennett

"Argentina 1516-1987 From Spanish Colonisation to Alfonsin" - David Rock

These were all fairly readable and on my Uni reading list... David Rock has a lot of stuff on Argentina that might be worth checking out.

nomadamericana · Joined: 18 Dec 2004 Posts: 146 Location: Minneapolis, MN

My Argentine friend keeps recomending the author Marcos Aguinis...

"El Atroz Encanto de ser Argentino" and "Un pa�s de novela".... I think both are about Argentines and she said they are a bit harsh or critical but rather truthful.

If you can read in Castellano... check these out. I don't know if they have English translations... you could check Amazon.com and look.

amy1982 · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 192 Location: Buenos Aires

chaquitamaria · Joined: 25 Aug 2005 Posts: 20 Location: Buenos Aires

I have a really good book (I think it's put out by Duke University Press) called "The Argentina Reader: History, Culture and Society" which is a collection on translated texts - songs, poems, essays, prose etc - that are important as source texts in Argentine history etc. The editors are Gabriela Nouzeilles and Graciela R. Montaldo. I got mine in Canada though - don't know if it's availible here in Buenos Aires. Sometimes you can order from the publishing house though.